Part II, “The Far Dark”, Chapter 2, “Calling Home” (p. 81)
“
Shanna put on the last movement of Beethoven’s Fifth and turned up the gain.
Ludwig von Cornball, they had called him back at Moonbase One. Hipitude: post-postmodern irony. All because she played ol’ Ludwig so much—but who was more appropriate? What spirit better expressed the grandeur of an expedition to the edge of the solar system?
— Gregory Benford
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "Shanna put on the last movement of Beethoven’s Fifth and turned up the gain.
Ludwig von Cornball, they had called him back at Moonbase One. Hipitude: post-postmodern irony. All because she played ol’ Ludwig so much—but who was more appropriate? What spirit better expressed the grandeur of an expedition to the edge of the solar system?" in the context of "Part II, “The Far Dark”, Chapter 2, “Calling Home” (p. 81)" to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "Gregory Benford" (Quotes, The Adventures of Viktor & Julia, The Sunborn (2005): All page numbers from the hardcover first edition published by Warner Books (first printing), )
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
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About Gregory Benford
Gregory Benford (born January 30, 1941, in Mobile, Alabama) is an American science fiction author and astrophysicist who is on the faculty of the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of California, Irvine.
About Gregory Benford
Gregory Benford (born January 30, 1941, in Mobile, Alabama) is an American science fiction author and astrophysicist who is on the faculty of the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of California, Irvine.
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